LicensebyState

Missouri to Wisconsin: master plumber license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 16, 2026· 5 sources

Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Wisconsin's standard path for out-of-state applicants.

Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Out-of-state master plumber (no reciprocity; exam required, journeyman experience credited toward eligibility)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

DSPS publishes no plumbing reciprocity partners and no exam-waiver route for out-of-state master plumbers, so a master licensed in another state applies through LicensE under Form 3129 like a first-time candidate and must pass the Wisconsin master plumber examination. Wisconsin's master qualification is a period of experience as a licensed journeyman plumber, documented on the Form 3129T experience table; an out-of-state applicant documents that journeyman-level experience and licence history to become eligible to sit the exam. Wisconsin has no separate law or business exam for individual plumbers. Fees are calculated in LicensE.

SPS 305.91 requires at least 1,000 hours of plumbing work per year for 3 years as a licensed journeyman plumber, or an approved engineering degree. Restricted master is a separate DSPS credential. Fee amounts are in SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 (PDF), not on the DSPS plumber pages: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/MasterPlumber/Default.aspx

At a glance

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • You must document at least 1,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least 1,000 hours of plumbing work per year (SPS 305.91).
  • You must have held your Missouri license for at least 3 years.Those 1,000 hours per year for 3 years as a licensed journeyman plumber, or an approved engineering degree in lieu of that experience (SPS 305.91).

What you'll do to get licensed in Wisconsin

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Application fee calculated in LicensE when you file Form 3129. Dollar amounts are in SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 (PDF), not on the DSPS plumber pages: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/MasterPlumber/Default.aspx.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee calculated in LicensE. Dollar amounts are in SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 (PDF), not on the DSPS plumber pages..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Wisconsin Master Plumber examination (open book on Wis. Stat. ch. 145, SPS 305 and the SPS 381-387 plumbing code; given at DSPS or Pearson locations).
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. License fee calculated in LicensE after you pass. Dollar amounts are in SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 (PDF), not on the DSPS plumber pages..
  5. 5Other. Form 3129T experience table and copy of the journeyman plumber licence(s) relied on, uploaded to LicensE.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

  • Exam fee
  • Trade exam

How Wisconsin licenses master plumbers

Wisconsin master plumber · “Master Plumber

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)

Wisconsin issues a statewide, person-held Master Plumber license through DSPS under Wis. Stat. ch. 145; no person may work at plumbing without a DSPS license (Wis. Stat. 145.06), and under SPS 305.91 a master plumber responsible for an installation must use appropriately credentialed persons to do the work. A new applicant files Form 3129 (with the Form 3129T experience table) in the LicensE portal, is made eligible to test, and must pass the DSPS master plumber examination, an open-book exam on Wis. Stat. ch. 145, SPS 305 and the SPS 381-387 plumbing code (the updated code applies to exams from October 1, 2026). DSPS's plumber pages name no reciprocity states.

Moving to WisconsinLeaving Wisconsin

Why Missouri has nothing to transfer

Missouri master plumber

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

Missouri issues no statewide master plumber or plumbing contractor license. RSMo chapter 341 leaves plumber licensing to cities over 15,000 and first-classification counties, whose boards examine master plumbers, set fees and license terms and (in counties) require master plumber and master drainlayer surety bonds; no state agency licenses the trade and the voluntary statewide contractor license that exists for electrical work has no plumbing counterpart. The master credential therefore exists only locally: Springfield's Master Plumber certification (4 years as a certified journeyman or 10 years' experience, ICC exam, $50), Kansas City's plumbing contractor license qualified by a supervisor holding a certificate of qualification (Prometric or ICC exam, $60 application, $181 four-year renewal; contractor license $55 application, $181 issuance), St. Louis County's Master Plumber license and certified contractor list, and the City of St. Louis Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners' master plumber and drainlayer licenses. An out-of-state master plumber license carries no state-level recognition; Springfield accepts an identical ICC, Prometric, Experior or Block exam score of 75% or better in place of retesting and Kansas City may accept a comparable exam it deems equivalent, while the St. Louis County and City of St. A master arriving from another state should expect to qualify in each jurisdiction separately and then obtain that jurisdiction's contractor license and bond to pull permits.

How local licensing works in Missouri

How local licensing works. There is no state plumbing board. Under RSMo chapter 341, city boards of examiners (cities over 15,000) and county boards of plumbing and sewer inspection (first-classification counties) examine master plumbers; § 341.170 sets the county master plumber qualifications, § 341.180 the application fees, license terms and re-examination rules, and § 341.200 requires master plumbers and master drainlayers to post surety bonds. The master license is the credential that lets a plumber pull permits and run a plumbing business, and each jurisdiction issues and enforces its own.

St. Louis County. The Plumbing Licensing office (41 South Central Avenue, Clayton, 314-615-3741) issues Master Plumber licenses and publishes a Certified Contractors list; the Board of Plumbing Examiners meets the first Thursday of each month at 8:00 a.m., and renewals carry PEU continuing-education requirements. Louis.** The Building Division's Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners licenses master plumbers and drainlayers and reviews licensing matters and complaints for plumbing and drainlaying work in the city; permits are issued to city-licensed contractors. Every licensed contractor must employ a full-time supervisor who holds a Kansas City certificate of qualification in the plumbing trade, obtained on an application with notarized references and a passing score from a recognized agency such as Prometric or ICC ($60 application, first four-year certificate free, $181 renewal); the city 'may accept comparable examinations from other jurisdictions if deemed equivalent or superior'. Whether a separately titled master plumber license, plumbing-specific experience hours or named reciprocity with Kansas jurisdictions exist could not be confirmed because kcmo.gov and both fallback routes were blocked on 2026-09-16.

Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Master Plumbers: 4 years as a certified journeyman plumber or 10 years of satisfactory experience in the trade, documented on notarized employer experience forms and approved by the board (first Thursday monthly, 5:00 p.m., Busch Building; approval to test good for one year). The exam is the ICC master plumber exam through Pearson Vue (about $125 paid to Pearson Vue), 75% to pass; the certification card costs $50 with $50 annual renewal, and a master must file a Master Registration form to qualify a contracting business (Master Resignation form on leaving). Out-of-state treatment: 'Reciprocity from another jurisdiction' applicants submit the same experience documentation plus an exam score notification of 75% or better from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC (Pearson Vue) for the identical exam Springfield requires; otherwise they test. Springfield also certifies Master Gas fitters (4 years as a certified gas journeyman, or 4 years as a master mechanic or plumber plus 2 years as a gas journeyman).

Columbia and others. Columbia, St.

Moving to MissouriLeaving Missouri

Common questions

Do I have to take the Wisconsin master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
Yes. Wisconsin requires the trade exam on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Missouri license?
At least 3 years before applying.
Do my Missouri work hours count in Wisconsin?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Wisconsin's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Wisconsin to Missouri?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Wisconsin to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. Wisconsin DSPS Form 3129 - Master Plumber License Application Information (including Form 3129T) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Form · verified September 16, 2026
  2. Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Plumber Exam Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  3. Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber · Wis. Stat. 145.06; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.91 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  4. Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 - Licenses, Certifications and Registrations (Table 305.02 fees; Subch. VII Plumbing; SPS 305.91, 305.93) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02 Table 305.02; SPS 305.60-305.66; SPS 305.91; SPS 305.93 · Wisconsin Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
  5. Wis. Stat. 145.06 - Licenses and registration (plumbing) · Wis. Stat. 145.06 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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